"With no budget and only a computer at her disposal, Ghada has managed to recruit thousands of supporters."

Helen Mott writes in support of Ghada on Change.org: “Retro-sexism isn’t attractive or amusing. It’s pathetic and demeaning and I am no longer prepared to fly Ryanair.”

Vicki Wharton says: “Why is it only sexism that is thought of as funny? No one seeks to bring back racism in this light and with two women a week killed through sexist violence from their partners, it's about time that people started joining up the dots between sexism and domestic violence, one breeds the other.”

And Jolyne Remy writes: “ The advertisement is shameful. I’ll never travel on this airline. I’ll pass the word to my friends.”

Change.org provides a forum for people-powered campaigns for social change.

Bank of America recently dropped a proposed debit card fee after over 300,000 people joined a change.org campaign against it.

And after a petition of almost 100,000 signatures US department store JC Penney agreed to pay worker compensation when a fire killed 30 Bangladeshi factory workers in a sweatshop producing clothing for famous US brands.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary is no stranger to controversy and is renowned for his shocking ad campaigns.

Meanwhile, housewives in Spain have complained about the “Girls of Ryanair” calendar and have reported the airline to the Valencia watchdog body in charge of avoiding sexism in publicity and advertising.

Members of the Tyrius association in Valencia are outraged at the images of the airline’s female staff posing in bikinis and the association is demanding that sales of the calendar be suspended.

In response Ryanair asked that people support the scheme rather than attacking it and pointed out that sales of the calendar will raise €10,000 for the charity Debra. All of the staff members posed voluntarily, the airline pointed out.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said that groups of male firemen and rugby players pose naked or semi naked for charity purposes and said Ryanair will continue to defend the rights of both men and women to take their clothes off in the name of a charity if they want to.